Most people I meet ask me to explain what is a “fashion illustrator” or a “fashion illustration.” This is hardly surprising. Fashion illustration is not a common pursuit. It is not self-explanatory enough that the average person can understand what it is about.
Often, many people guess that fashion illustration is about “drawing clothes.” It is – but not entirely. It is really about drawing ideas out on the paper. There is no need to illustrate what can be photographed. But there is a need to illustrate what can be made.
Photography is limited by what is already there. But fashion illustration is the act of taking out a fashion idea you imagine and putting it into a drawing to make it visible and understandable for everyone else. The person who does this is a fashion illustrator.
Despite all the school work I have, I try to take time to create fashion illustrations and to put them on the social media, such as “instagram.” At first, my intention only was to get likes and followers. It took me by surprise to see that people actually do admire my work and support what I do.
My purpose in creating fashion illustrations is to express my sense of fashion and my designs. Why illustrate when you can photograph what is there?
Fashion is expensive. As I am not a person from a well-off family, it is almost impossible to even major in fashion design, let alone own or accessorize myself with designers’ clothes and accessories. So what is there for me to photograph? So, I chose to put all my ideas and outfit dreams onto paper.
This used to be just a way to express myself, and for pleasure. But, with the encouragement I received from everyone telling me that I have the ability to be just as good as those famous illustrators, I decided to put more effort in each illustration.
Once, I received a comment saying that a fashion magazine was interested in my work. Personally, it was incredibly amazing. At that point, I was drawing only for pleasure, and then to have professionals notice my work and to feature it in their magazine.
One downside is that people primarily give little value to fashion illustration. They think it is just “drawing clothes”. I strongly disagree. It’s transferring the designer’s ideas onto paper.
Fashion illustration is also an art. And it requires talent to create art. Plus, while famous designers envision magnificent designs, some of them cannot even draw. Most people do not understand that not everything that can be imagined is always realized.
At the moment, I am nothing but an ordinary university student with a huge ambition and an amateur fashion illustrator. Even though my work has only been noticed once so far, I will not stop here.
Maybe, one day, I really will be the first Cambodian fashion illustrator to win renown across the globe.
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